Center-fire balance-engine.



. PATENTED 00T. 11, 1904.

E. A. MOETON. y CENTER EIEE BALANCE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.16. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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i UNITED STATES Patented october 11, 1904.

ROLLA A. MORTON, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

CENTER-FIRE BALANCE-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 772,109, dated October 11, 1904.

Applicaticn led March 16, 1903. Serial No. 148,112. (No model.)

T0 all whom 2122 may concern:

Be it known that I, RoLLA A. MoR'roN,a citizen of the United States, residing at San J ose, county of Santa Clara, State of California, have invented an Improvementin Center-Fire Balance-Enginesrand I hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in engines of the type employing opposed pistons operated simultaneously in a single cylinder through the expansive force of a propelling medium introduced between the pistons. Its object is to provide a motor suitable for use in automobiles, launches, yachts, and the like which shall be simple in construction and operation, of high efliciency, practically noiseless, and free from all vibration.

It consists of the parts and the construction and combination/of parts hereinafter more fully described, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my engine. Fig. 2 is a plan View of same. Fig. 3 is a transverse central section of same.

A represents a horizontally-disposed cylinder open at both ends and secured rigidly at each end to the crank-cases c, by which latter the engine is supported on suitable bases. If desired, the cylinder may be provided with a waterjacket, as 2. A piston 3 operates in each end of the cylinder, and each piston has a rod 4, connecting with a crank onva shaft 5, carrying a y-wheel 6 at opposite ends of the cylinder. The two pistons have an opposite and simultaneous movement, and their length of strokeis regulated to bring them alternately into juxtaposition centrally of the cylinder and then carry them outward toward the ends of the cylinders, each piston serving in lieu of a cylinder-head for the other.

Any suitable propelling medium may be employed to drive the engine. In the present instance an inflammable vapor from any suitable source of supply is introduced into a chamber 7 on the side and centrally of the cylinder and therein ignited by a suitable sparking device 8, operated in the usual manner from one of the drive-shafts, but not necessary here to be detailed. The expanding gases pass from chamber 7 into the cylinder and between the twopistons at their moment of closest approach to each other to force the pistons outward. On the return stroke the spent products are expelled through chamber 7 into the exhaust 8', passing through a mufHer before inally escaping to the outer atmosphere. Exhaust from chamber 7 is controlled by means or a valve 17, operated in the usual manner through the medium of a lever 18, engaged at proper intervals by a cam 19, carried on the two-to-onelgear 20, driven from a shaft 5.

The chief novelty of this invention lies in the manner of coupling up the two opposed crank-shafts so that the throw of one will counteract that of the other. In all gas-engines there occurs at the moment of each ex- Dlosion an outward thrust or augmented impulse on the piston-rod and from that transmitted to the crank and fly-wheel, due to the sudden expansion of the confined gases. This is noticeable in all single-cylinder engines and gives rise to a certain amount of Vibration not entirelyA counteracted by the iiywheel. It is likewise apparent in engines of the present class, where the fly-wheels turn each in the same direction. It has been'found by experiment that with both iy wheels turning in the same direction and with the ends of the engine supported on springs a decided rocking motion was imparted to the engine, vwhich with a speed of one thousand to twelve hundred revolutions a minuteA resolved into a pronounced vibration. On the other hand,by coupling up the iy-wheels, as shown in Fig. 1, so that they revolve in opposite directions, the outward thrust on each piston and crank being' simultaneous, equal, and opposite, the above-mentioned objectionable rocking movement or vibration is eliminated. The advantage and value of such a construction is apparent where the engine is IOO is completed by the mutual engagement of the gears 22.

Either or both of shafts 23 or either or both straight disk 26 is mounted on a shaft 25,

having suitable bearings and carrying a sprocket 2 4, over which a chain passes to the rear axle, disk 26 being engaged simultaneously and equally from its two opposite sides by friction-rollers 27 on the ends of shafts 23, which by virtue of their special construction roll in opposite directions, each eX- erting and transmitting an equal amount of power on and to disk 26 through rollers 27.

In an ordinary engine-cylinder explosion takes pla'ce against a solid head. Here each piston forms the cylinder-head for the other, and what is usually resolved into vibration and lost power is utilized in this case as a positive propelling force. This, together with the means shown for coupling up the iiywheels, results in a perfect balance-engine.

The crank-cases a are each made in two sections divided longitudinally of the engine and united by bolts, as shown at 33. The seams between each section and between each casing and the cylinder are preferably made dust and air tight, so that the crank-fittings are perfectly protected and an air-cushion prol vided for each piston to work against.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an engine, the combination of a cylinder open at both ends, oppositely-reciprocating pistons therein, piston-rods, respective crank-shafts, a drive-shaft, and intermediate gearing between said crank-shafts and the drive-shaft, said gearing including,` two parallel shafts having intermeshing gears engaging corresponding gears on the crank-shafts, and friction-pulleys on said parallel shafts engaging oppositey sides of a similar pulley on drive-shaft.

2. In power-transmission apparatus, `the combination of a single open-ended cylinder, opposed reciprocating pistons therein, pistonrods, a crank-shaft directly connected' with each of said rods, iiy-wlieels rigid with said crank-shafts, gears on said crank-shafts, oppositely-rotatable interengaging gears meshing with said crank-shaft gears, shafts for said interengaging gears, a drive-shaft transverse to said interengaging-gear shafts, and interengaging friction-pulleys on the latter shafts and said drive-shaft substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ROLLA A. 'MORTON Witnesses:

C. H. JOHNSON, E. W. KNAPP. 

